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The Coworking industry grew 50% between 2016 and 2018 and the variety of options within this market segment is staggering. Boston is no exception, currently, there are around 2.3 million square feet of coworking space in Boston and Cambridge. Last week NAIOP Massachusetts hosted a lively panel discussion covering all things coworking. The panel was moderated by Kristin Blount of Colliers with guests Jessica Hughes of Tishman Speyer, Bryan Koop of Boston Properties, Karina Silvester of Gensler, and Craig Robinson of WeWork.

Aaron Jodka, Chief Economist/Director of Research at Colliers International set the stage for the panel by providing some stats on coworking in Boston and around the globe. While Boston has one of the fastest coworking markets in the country, London and NYC have the largest total markets with WeWork as the single largest tenant in each market. Jodka and his research team certainly expect coworking to continue to grow while lenders in capital markets determine how best to handle deals involving coworking spaces.

As the market grows, traditional office landlords are finding ways to get into the coworking game. Jessica Hughes & Brian Koop discussed how their companies are moving into the coworking space by transforming some of their limited vacant space into a coworking option. Tishman Speyer’s coworking product, Studio, will focus on hospitality and tenant service. Their first foray into this space just opened at Rockefeller Center in NYC with the next location coming to 125 High Street in Boston. Tishman Speyer is working with Gensler on the fitouts for these spaces to ensure a high quality of design.

Boston Properties has transformed a floor of the Prudential Center into Flex – their version of coworking, which is less about shared space and more about more flexible lease terms and ready-to-occupy space. Koop told the crowd the new space has been very popular, being fully leased in its first 1-2 months. As Koop mentioned, the average lifespan of a company is getting shorter and the market is moving away from the “long and strong” leases of old. The goal of Flex is to cater to clients looking for leases in the 1-5 year range.

WeWork, now the We Companies, has been the leader in the space and continues to grow their brand across the globe with locations now in 100 cities. Craig Robinson, WeWork’s new Global Head of Powered by We Services, discussed some of the stats behind the company’s mission to “Create a world where people work to make a life, not just a living”. Generally, 85% of employees are not engaged and around 51% are on the lookout for another job. Employers are finally beginning to realize that the future of work is going to be measured by how people feel and not by the old standards of productivity. Many Fortune 500 companies are already getting ahead of this trend with over 150 of them signed on as WeWork Enterprise members. Enterprise services allow these large companies the ability to offer more creative environments, the flexibility to have offices in multiple cities and the freedom to grow to new markets.

From a design point of view, Karina Silvester of Gensler discussed the broad variations of coworking space. Within this spectrum, there are a few common factors including the need for lots of flexibility along with varied activity-based workstations. Gensler has designed numerous coworking spaces both large and small including the new Reebok headquarters in Boston. For their new space, Reebok wanted a more open plan/flexible space instead of the numerous small offices they had in the past. As Karina also pointed out “the desire to cowork will extend to digital realms as people are working all the time.”

The panelists agreed the coworking model is here to stay and even in the event of a downturn flexibility will prove important. WeWork continues to diversify its portfolio and offerings and other commercial landlords are following suit as the market shifts. Employee expectations are changing and to attract and retain top talent, employers and in turn, landlords are moving to this flexible, community space.

The following is an excerpt from the acceptance speech I gave for the Edward H. Linde Public Service Award at the recent NAIOP Distinguished Real Estate Awards event. It summarizes the feelings I have about leaving NAIOP after 28 years as its CEO.

A way to judge any organization is to contemplate whether it would be missed. When I consider what we have accomplished over these past 28 years, I know that all of you in the commercial real estate industry would agree that what we have done on your behalf, and for the Commonwealth, is remarkable. Please note that I say “we” for very important reasons.

It certainly starts with a top professional staff, with Debbie Osheroff, Rachel Meyer and Taylor Pederson. In addition, there are two exceptional professionals who are now stepping into new leadership roles, Tamara Small & Reesa Fischer. I have tremendous confidence in both of them and I know they will take this organization onto even greater successes. They are all-stars who have earned the respect of their peers, the industry’s leaders, and the greater community.

But our success goes beyond our excellent staff. NAIOP’s unique entrepreneurial DNA has driven its Advocacy, Education, and Networking. And that is a direct result of our engagement with an extensive network of exceptional volunteers, what I call NAIOP’s very “special sauce”. We have been fortunate to have some of the best and brightest professionals in our industry giving their time, knowledge and experience. That includes all of our past Presidents, Board members, executive committee members, and numerous volunteers on our operating committees.

In particular, I would be remiss if I did not call out the Governmental Affairs Committee. Our influence in the legislature, regulatory agencies, policy centers and the courts has been achieved directly through the active commitment of so many members over the past 30 years. They have helped draft bills that became law, offered comments on regulations that were then revised, produced position papers that helped direct policies, and presented amicus briefs that helped guide court decisions.

I am so proud to have worked with these professionals to impact major legislative initiatives, including drafting the District Improvement Financing statute, initiating the effort for the Permit Extension Act, partnering in the passage of the Brownfields Act, and influencing so many areas of regulatory oversight. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, we have also committed to continue focusing on three important issues: Transportation, Housing, & Climate Change.

I also want to thank and recognize the many business association leaders that we have worked with over these many years. To have the kind of successes we have enjoyed only comes with active collaborative partnerships. No one organization can succeed without the give and take of working together with a common agenda – a better Commonwealth.

It has been a true labor of love to lead this organization. I have enjoyed the challenges, the successes, and the many close friendships I have made along the way. I am also very proud of the impacts we have had over the years.

Back in 1991, as I transitioned to the advocacy role from being a developer, I anticipated a relatively short interlude in my career. It clearly was not short. Developers have a vision and an optimism that is critical to producing a successful project. I always tried to maintain both as I led this organization over the years.

As I now turn to my next chapter professionally, I know that I will remain active in advocating for the same big issues that continue to challenge our Commonwealth. However, whatever direction I do go, I will look forward to enjoying all the close relationships I have developed through the years and the knowledge that the future for our industry and NAIOP will be bright.

Once again, thank you so much for the privilege of serving this industry.

Electric bikes & scooters will be allowed in Boston (and then regretted).

Bitcoin value will fall, other Cryptocurrencies will rise.

Foreign investment in commercial real estate will drop.

The stock market will hit an all time low and an all time high.

The Fed will raise rates ¼% only once during the next year.

Tiger Woods will win a major.

Below were my predictions for 2018. Not too bad!
1. Amazon will pass on Boston for a campus, but leave us with a great consolation prize. [Yes and 1mm sq. ft coming to the Seaport]
2. No Turnpike air rights project will start construction (ditto for 2019). [None, so far]
3. Fed. interest rates will be up 75 basis points by end of year. [50 basis points]
4. In Boston, more condos will be permitted than rental apartments (other than the neighborhoods). [Rental approved by BPDA: 33%/Condo: 67%]
5. An office or lab lease will hit $100 per square foot in Cambridge. [Boeing office, 314 Main St.: $106.63 Net effective rent]
6. Construction costs, on average, will be up 7%. [ to date, 6-7%]
7. More than one million SF of commercial space will commence on spec. [Office: Boston & Cambridge: 1,008,000 SF; Lab: Boston & Cambridge: 1,226,000 SF]
8. The 128 office market will show more transactions (both numbers and SF) than the downtown market. [Downtown wins]
9. Foreign buyers will begin to acquire major CRE property outside of Boston/Cambridge. [No]
10. And, yes, the Patriots will do it again. [Almost!]

Today NAIOP submitted comments in support of Focus40, the 2040 Investment Plan for the MBTA. NAIOP applauds Secretary Pollack and the Baker-Polito Administration for the significant time and thought that went into Focus40. A reliable public transit system is critical for sustained economic growth and NAIOP believes that Focus40, combined with the Administration’s Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth, and ongoing initiatives such as Rail Vision, as well as the significant work done by the Fiscal and Management Control Board, create a framework for the future.

By focusing on the three tiers of Doing, Planning and Imagining, Focus40 identifies investments that will make the MBTA a more reliable, robust and resilient public transportation system. Focus40 identifies 12 key programs: Blue Line 2040, Orange Line 2040, Green Line 2040, Silver Line 2040, Red Line 2040, Resiliency, Customer Experience, Paratransit, Commuter Rail 2040, Water Transportation 2040, Bus 2040 and Place Based Service Additions.

NAIOP’s comment letter is very supportive and encourages additional focus in the following areas:

– Water Transportation: In the current draft, an identified program objective for 2040 is “supporting a robust, multi-operator Boston Harbor water transportation system, serving more passengers and destinations and excellent connections to landside MBTA service.” NAIOP believes that water transit has significant potential and that Focus40 provides a unique opportunity to further investigate how waterfront communities, including Boston, could benefit from an expanded system. NAIOP looks forward to serving as a resource on this issue.

– Ride Sharing and Technology: While references to ridesharing are made under the Customer Experience program recommendations, NAIOP suggests that detailed analysis about the current and future impact of ride sharing services, e.g. Uber, Lyft as well as other technologies be included. In addition to offering an alternative or complement to MBTA service, these companies are changing the composition of our streets and the level of congestion in many areas. New and “disruptive” technologies are already impacting transportation and should be considered, making enhanced transportation information sharing through technology an integral part of the Commonwealth’s transportation plan.

– Regional Needs: Considering how the program objectives and recommendations might affect access to other parts of the Commonwealth should be further investigated in Focus40. While we acknowledge that the MBTA is first and foremost the public transportation system for Boston and surrounding communities, we think that it’s necessary to zoom out and look at outside factors that may interact with the MBTA lines.

– Non-Capital Priorities and Human Resources Planning: While it is important to have goals and big ideas to guide large investments, the essentials of good MBTA administration are absolutely critical. The transformational work of the Fiscal and Management Control Board over the past three years illustrates this very clearly. It is imperative that the big ideas in Focus40 do not overshadow the vital day to day needs and expectations of the region. We recommend that Focus40 consider how human resources planning and operational strategies will allow this to continue.

Finally, it’s worth noting that in 2015, at the start of the Baker-Polito Administration, NAIOP issued the report, From Good to Great: Recommendations for the Baker-Polito Administration. The report was based on member feedback and included recommendations on a wide range of policy areas, including transportation. Specifically, NAIOP urged the Administration to develop a “Vision 2040 Transportation Plan,” which “should address tomorrow’s opportunities, focusing on the issues which may arise over the next 25 years, including long term demographic, economic, environmental, technological, cultural and governmental transformations, the potential effects of global climate change on infrastructure, and the development of new modal choices.” It’s great to see that when NAIOP members weigh in, policymakers listen! We look forward to continuing to engage members and working with the MassDOT team on this and other transportation initiatives.

On September 21 and 28, NAIOP Massachusetts University presented Navigating the Permitting Maze: A Crash Course in Environmental Permitting to 40+ students from a range of backgrounds looking to master real estate permitting fundamentals in Massachusetts. This course, led by VHB instructors and complemented by several industry experts and panelists, centered on introducing permitting basics, including development of an early permitting strategy and timeline with colleagues and state and local regulators, as well as more complex issues, such as transportation analyses, historical property concerns, climate resiliency, appeals, and much more.

Not only did this course provide valuable education for new and continuing real estate professionals, it made connections to NAIOP members’ experience with advocacy at the legislative, regulatory, and judicial level.

Basics of Environmental Permitting, and Trends from State and Local Directors

During the first day, students started the morning with sessions led by Kyle Greaves and Lauren DeVoe of VHB, on the Massachusetts Environmental Permitting Act office (MEPA) review process which coordinates public review of a development’s environmental impacts. Next, students received instruction on the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Article 80 regulations and process. Over the last five years, MEPA has analyzed about 1,300 large developments, with the majority (60%) culminating the review process with an Environmental Notification Form, and the remainder split between needing an Environmental Impact Report or a more in-depth process. For developments in Boston, Jonathan Greeley, Director at BPDA, which has approved over 11 million square feet for development in 2018 alone, emphasized that successful projects start with community outreach early in the process. Jonathan served on a trends in development panel with MEPA Director Deidre Buckley and moderator Greg Peterson of Casner & Edwards LLP during day one of the course.

Jonathan Greeley, Director at Boston Planning & Development Agency

Permit Extension Act Protects Developments During Great Recession

Mary Marshall, Partner at Nutter McClennen & Fish, presented the final session on Day 1 on the Post Entitlement Permitting Stage. Mary made a connection between NAIOP’s legislative advocacy and environmental permitting, stating that during the recession, when many developments stalled due to the economy and financing, NAIOP formulated the Permit Extension Act, which was signed in 2010 by Governor Patrick (and expanded in 2012) to allow projects to maintain permits so that they could be “shovel-ready” when the market improved – avoiding several years spent reapplying for permits. Tamara Small, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, added that a more recent advocacy connection with permitting is that NAIOP successfully changed the railroad-right-of-way statute in the 2018 economic development bill signed by Governor Baker this August. This means that developers will have more clarity about whether and when they must coordinate with MassDOT on building on former railroad rights of way.

Commercial Real Estate Professionals Advocating for Industry

On the second day of the course, individual sessions were designed for “deep-dives” into more technical areas. Jamie Fay, a waterfront planning expert at Fort Point Associates, a TetraTech company, led a session on the Massachusetts waterfront planning Act (Chapter 91) and how it affects development. Jamie is an active member of NAIOP’s government affairs committee and served as an advocate for reasonable regulation of the waterfront when the legislature worked on the issue and passed legislation in 2007 — and in the years following, as the Department of Environmental Protection promulgated regulations. New developments like Clippership Wharf and Encore Boston Harbor are subject to Chapter 91 rules. Stephanie Kruel, a climate resiliency planning expert at VHB, walked through climate resiliency checklists and analysis during the project planning phases. Stephanie serves as co-chair of NAIOP’s climate resiliency committee – a subcommittee of the government affairs committee.

To bring the areas of waterfront issues, historic resources issues, climate resiliency and environmental permitting together in a real-life example, the course ended with a project spotlight and panel presentation by four individuals from the General Electric Innovation Point team: Elizabeth Grob, VHB, Jeff Porter, Mintz Levin, Peter Cavanaugh, GE and Todd Dundon, Gensler.

NAIOP would like to thank all of the many experts whose time and energy made this course such a success. Due to popular demand, the permitting course will return in 2019.

Make sure to check out all of the NAIOP Massachusetts University offerings including the upcoming Real Estate Finance Fundamentals course on October 26, 2018. Have ideas on other courses NAIOP could offer? Let us know!

A report was recently issued from the Institute for Policy Studies that has attracted significant media coverage and editorials from virtually all of the local print and broadcast outlets.

Credit: Elisif Brandon

It’s a great story: the ultra-rich, international money launderers have descended on the Boston real estate scene, crowding out poor and middle-class residents.

However, when you go beyond the buzz and dig into the content of the report, there is much to question. The report implies that owning condos through a trust or LLC is done to hide the owner’s identity. This form of ownership is actually a very common practice for tax, estate, and transactional reasons. Furthermore, while some buyers may choose to remain anonymous, it’s rather uncommon and to imply that anyone who does this is somehow laundering money is factually incorrect.

If these higher priced apartments or condos were not built, middle income apartments would not be replacing them — the economics just do not work with the current high construction costs. Furthermore, these buildings are already paying a tax devoted to the production of affordable housing, with a requirement to provide for at least 15 percent of the units built on site as affordable or a fee to produce those units off site. In addition, the city’s office buildings must also pay a “linkage fee” for affordable housing and workforce training.

Virtually all of these new developments are built on vacant land or in commercial areas where there had not been any housing, so they have not displaced existing residents. In fact, many of these developments have been the catalyst to creating new 24/7 neighborhoods.

If these condo owners are not here full-time to justify a residential tax break, so what? Do we want to discourage retirees living in Florida from living here for six months? Do we want to tell the penthouse owner, Michael Dell, to take a hike and take his jobs with him? I don’t think so.

The real issue is that it will take federal and state resources, communities working with developers, and overcoming NIMBY-ism and fear of affordable housing at the local level to truly address this housing crisis. Rather than drawing false conclusions and creating easy scapegoats, it’s time we all come together to find economically feasible solutions.

This letter to the editor originally appeared in the Boston Business Journal on September 20, 2018, as written by NAIOP Massachusetts CEO David Begelfer.

Arguably, the premier commercial office space market in the U.S. – New York City – is showing signs that office tenants will pay a significant premium on rent for space in a ‘smart’ building.

Compared to office leases in the city for non-smart buildings, MIT Center for Real Estate researcher Alfredo Keitaro Bando Hano (2018) found that office properties with smart building attributes attracted rents that commanded a 37 percent premium on effective rent per net square feet. The sample included 454 non-smart building properties and 223 smart office leases using the Compstak transaction database for Manhattan for 2013 and onwards. The MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab continues to research and report on smart, connected and green buildings.

Thanks to new technologies and devices, occupiers now have the possibility to measure and analyze the activity that occurs inside their structures. Companies are not focused on location only anymore; they now they look for more productive and efficient areas, and smart buildings rise as a possible answer to this new requirement.

In search of flexibility and agility, users have pushed changes in architectural and interior design to improve employee satisfaction, health, and engagement, hence better productivity.

Smart buildings are self-sensing. For the purposes of Keitaro’s study, a smart building must have installed one or more smart amenities that go beyond sustainability and aim to improve the occupier experience. Smart amenities include occupancy sensors, automatic windows, cameras with emotion recognition algorithms, and other technologies that capture and provide information to tenants and landlords. Ultimately, a smart building is one that adapts to the needs and preferences of the building’s occupants. And, in the office environment, responding to workers’ needs and preferences stand to significantly increase employee productivity and well-being.

We can predict that in the future, new smart amenities will come to market and offer commercial real estate developers, owners, and investors opportunities to incorporate smart technology in the building’s plans and reap the financial benefits.

That being said, the New York City sample did not delve into the cost of constructing and operating a smart building compared to a non-smart facility. It is not yet clear whether the rent premiums offset the costs to construct, renovate, and operate smart buildings. Further, due to other factors (like location) not all the projects will immediately obtain these premiums just by embracing a smart strategy. Nevertheless, it is worth emphasizing that smart buildings have value.

NAIOP Massachusetts is an industry partner to the MIT Center for Real Estate. Alfredo Keitaro Bando Hano wrote The Incremental Value of Smart Buildings Upon Effective Rents and Transaction Prices (2018) as a master’s thesis.